They call themselves Ravens Racing.
They build race cars.
And they are all students.
A team of about 50, mostly engineering students from Carleton University have unveiled their 2016 entry into the Formula SAE series – an international competition featuring hundreds of teams from around the world.
The car was conceived, designed, and built entirely by the students themselves.
Powered by a 50 horse-power motorcycle engine, the small, light-weight car can reach speeds of 120 km/h and go from 0 to 100 in 4.5 seconds.
“The acceleration and the handling is like a high-performance vehicle,” says team member and frequent driver, MacKenzie Carter.
The public got its first look at the $60-thousand car, dubbed RR16, at the Ottawa Gatineau International Auto Show on Friday.
Ravens Racing plans to enter it into a number of Formula SAE competitions later in the year. “The first is the biggest one down at Michigan International Speedway where we‘ll be competing with about 120 teams from about 10 countries around the world,” says team member Frank Sorenson.
Unlike other race series, the cars are not judged on speed alone. Points are also given for fuel efficiency, endurance, design presentation, cost and manufacturing, and even marketing.
Says Carter, “the project has been really great for getting the hands-on experience that you just don’t get in the classroom.”
